Veronica plant named ‘Candied Candle’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Veronica  plant named ‘Candied Candle’, characterized by its upright and relatively compact plant habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; dark pink-colored flowers arranged on long racemes; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Veronica spicata×Veronica longifolia.

Cultivar denomination: ‘CANDIED CANDLE’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Veronica plant, botanically known as Veronica spicata×Veronica longifolia and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Candied Candle’.

The new Veronica plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor during the summer of 2009 in Hummelo, The Netherlands, of an unnamed proprietary seedling selection of Veronica spicata, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unnamed proprietary seedling selection of Veronica longifolia, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Veronica plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Hummelo, The Netherlands during the summer of 2011.

Asexual reproduction of the new Veronica plant by vegetative softwood cuttings in Hummelo, The Netherlands, since the summer of 2011, has shown that the unique features of this new Veronica plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Veronica have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype of the new Veronica plant may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Candied Candle’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Candied Candle’ as a new and distinct Veronica plant:

-   -   1. Upright and relatively compact plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Dark pink-colored flowers arranged on long racemes.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Veronica differ from plants of the female parent selection primarily in flower color as plants of the female parent selection have light bluish pink-colored flowers. In addition, plants of the new Veronica are taller than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Veronica differ from plants of the male parent selection primarily in flower color as plants of the male parent selection have pink-colored flowers. In addition, plants of the new Veronica are shorter than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Veronica can be compared to plants of the Veronica ‘Heidekind’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Hummelo, The Netherlands, plants of the new Veronica differed from plants of ‘Heidekind’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Veronica were taller than plants of         ‘Heidekind’.     -   2. Plants of the new Veronica were more freely branching than         plants of ‘Heidekind’.     -   3. Plants of the new Veronica and ‘Heidekind’ differed slightly         in flower color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Veronica plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Veronica plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of typical flowering stems of ‘Candied Candle’.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical leaf of ‘Candied Candle’.

The photograph on the third sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Candied Candle’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and following description were grown during the late summer in an outdoor nursery in Rijpwetering, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of Veronica production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 14° C. to 28° C. and night temperatures ranged from 4° C. to averaged 16° C. Plants were one year old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Veronica longifolia cultivar Candied     Candle. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary seedling             selection of Veronica spicata, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary seedling             selection of Veronica longifolia, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Vegetative softwood cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About three weeks at             temperatures about 18° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             months at temperatures about 18° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, moderately fibrous; greyish white in             color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Growth and plant habit.—Upright and relatively plant habit;             broad inverted triangle; moderately vigorous growth habit;             freely branching habit with about six lateral branches             developing per plant.         -   Plant height.—About 51.3 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 41.6 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 41.1 cm. Diameter:             About 3 mm. Internode length: About 5.8 cm. Strength:             Strong. Texture: Densely pubescent. Color: Close to 144A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 9.7 cm.         -   Width.—About 3.2 cm.         -   Shape.—Narrowly ovate to lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Obtuse to truncate.         -   Margin.—Serrate.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Texture, lower surface.—Moderately pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 143A to             143C. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 143C. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to between 137A and             N137B; venation, close to 144A. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to 138B; venation, close to 144B to 144C.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 1.3 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower shape, arrangement and habit.—Single campanulate             flowers arranged on terminal and axillary racemes; flowers             face mostly outwardly; freely flowering habit with about 360             flowers developing per inflorescence.         -   Fragrance.—Faintly fragrant; moderately sweet.         -   Natural flowering season.—Flowering continuous from late             June to late September in The Netherlands.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About one week; flowers not             persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Shape: Ovate. Color: Close to 63B.         -   Inflorescence length.—About 13.8 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 2.4 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 7 mm.         -   Flower depth (height): About 9 mm.         -   Petals.—Arrangement: Four, fused about halfway to base.             Length: About 7 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Oblanceolate.             Apex: Broadly acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to 64C. Fully opened, upper and             lower surfaces: Close to 64B to 64C; with development, color             becoming closer to 64A to 64B.         -   Calyx.—Shape: Four sepals fused into a tube. Length: About             2 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Narrowly ovate. Apex: Acute.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 137B; towards the base,             close to 138B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 13.2 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Primary racemes, mostly upright;             secondary racemes, about 20° from vertical. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Close to 144B.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1.5 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: About 60° from the stem axis.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to between 146A and             147A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Two.             Filament length: About 8 mm. Filament color: Close to 71C to             71D. Anther shape: Elliptic. Anther length: About 1 mm.             Anther color: Close to 71B. Pollen amount: Scarce to             moderate. Pollen color: Close to 11C. Pistils: Quantity per             flower: One. Pistil length: About 9 mm. Stigma shape:             Clavate. Stigma color: Close to N79B. Style length: About             8 mm. Style color: Close to 72B. Ovary color: Close to 144D.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit production have             not been observed on plants of the new Veronica. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Veronica have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Veronica     plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Veronica have exhibited good     tolerance to rain and wind, to tolerate high temperatures about     35° C. and to be hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 4. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Veronica plant named ‘Candied Candle’ as illustrated and described. 